


Again, For Kicks

by dragyn42



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Do-Over, F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-04-04
Updated: 2009-08-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 00:13:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18905536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragyn42/pseuds/dragyn42
Summary: Everything ended happily.  Harry and Ginny won against the Dark Lord.  The Death Eaters were captured.  It was happily ever after for our favorite pair.  So, why exactly were they sent back to do it all over?





	1. Chapter 1

Ginny was having none of it. She began her sixth year at Hogwarts only to find that the school was unsafe. Voldemort loyalists had taken control of the Ministry and had their own Death Eaters installed in the school as ‘teachers.’ Once it became clear that anyone who was not Pureblood or was a Blood-Traitor was in danger, a network was started to help students escaped from school.

The DA — organizers of the network inside the school with Ginny at the helm — were among the last students to leave the school. Most of them hid with their families in safe houses, set up all over Britain with the help of good witches and wizards. Some even hid in the Muggle world. Muggles, those who knew of the Wizarding world due to some relation or other, hid refugees in their houses, often making use of attics and basements when necessary.

It may have seemed like cowardice, but running away was, in fact, one of the best things they could do. With those unable or unwilling to fight out of the way, the growing resistance had a much easier time fighting back without worrying about collateral damage — something the Death Eaters were never too concerned about. With the Order of the Phoenix at the forefront, anyone willing to fight back did so, and casualties were not insignificant. With the guidance of Minerva McGonagall, the citizenry knew they all were doing what needed to be done while The Boy Who Lived, Undesirable Number 1, stayed out of the notice of the government and completed the task set to him by the great Albus Dumbledore. McGonagall convinced all those willing to fight that, while she didn’t know what the task was, she had firm belief in her deceased friend and mentor, and once Harry’s job was completed, Voldemort would be vanquished.

Ginny, once free of Hogwarts, used her contacts spread throughout Britain to track down her errant _ex_ -boyfriend. Danger be damned; she understood he left her to keep her safe, but she now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that no where was safe for her. Therefore, there was no reason why she couldn’t be not safe with the man she loved.

It was halfway through November before she found the trio. She had been through countless safe-houses and had nearly been caught several times. But her perseverance won through and she found their defensive spells at sunset. She cast a minor charm, hoping it was enough to let them someone was around, but not dangerous enough to come out attacking. Sure enough, several minutes later, Hermione appeared seemingly from nowhere and, after making sure it truly was Ginny there, she immediately figured out what happened and smiled grimly at the redheaded runaway.

The row between Harry and Ginny was deafening. In the end, though, they both came to an understanding. Harry finally got it through his ‘thick skull’ (according to Ginny) that she was, in fact, not safe anywhere. Not only that, but since Harry would do anything to keep her safe, it was arguable that she was safer with him. Ginny also came to her own realization: Harry loved her. Not in the way of teenagers, not in the way of family, but well and truly, head over heals in love with her. She finally understood that if something were to happen to her, it could destroy him, and that was the reason he didn’t want her near him where he perceived the greatest danger would be.

They finally reached an understanding, apologized, cried, kissed, apologized again and kissed again. It was in the middle of one of their kisses when they both came up for breath that Harry actually said it: “I love you, Ginny.”

From that day on, their work in destroying the Horcuxes flew by in a haze of hard work, danger and, oddly enough, joy. Neither Ron nor Hermione could remember a time when Harry was as happy and focused on his work as he now was. Ginny was his goal, his driving force, and she was right there next to him the whole way. Ron — confused as to whether he should be upset at his sister, upset at Harry or happy that they were both together — once commented to Hermione that he hadn’t seen that particular spark in Ginny’s eyes since before her first year.

They took a small bit of time over Christmas to find the Weasley family and let them know they were okay. Harry took the same time to ask Ginny to marry him once everything was over. This upset Ron even more than Ginny being with them to begin with because he no longer had a valid reason to complain when they shared sleeping rolls.

Together, the foursome tracked down and destroyed the remaining Horcruxes. They broke into the Ministry to steal back the locket that Dolores Umbridge had acquired from Mundungus Fletcher. They used Hermione’s knowledge of the law and Ginny’s ability at double talk to trick the goblins into removing Helga’s cup from the LeStrange vault. She even convinced them to use dragon fire from a nearby guard dragon to destroy the cup, as well as the locket that Hermione had stored in her bag.

After an epiphany by Harry in May, they determined that the last Horcrux — other than Nagini — was located in Hogwarts in the Room of Requirement. Ginny and Harry managed to make contact with Neville, who then activated the DA network, and plans were made to smuggle the quartet back into Hogwarts. Before they entered, however, warning came that Voldemort knew what they were up to and was coming to stop them once and for all. In a promise to each other, Harry and Ginny married — performed by Aberforth Dumbledore through a loophole in the law that allowed A. Dumbledore to perform marriages with the authority of the Wizengamot and ICW — witnessed by Ron, Hermione and Neville.

They were going to come back to each other.

With the help of Aberforth, and interference run by several sympathizers still inside the school, they made it to the Room of Requirement. There, they found and liberated the diadem, which was then destroyed in a bout of rampant Fiendfyre loosed by Gregory Goyle in a failed capture attempt that resulted in Harry nearly killing, but ultimately saving, Draco Malfoy. Neville stumbled across Nagini scouting the school grounds. As the snake attacked, through some unknown quirk, he managed to summon the Sword of Gryffindor and protect himself, decapitating the abnormally large snake in the process. And just when it seemed the good-guys might retake the castle, Voldemort arrived.

The fight came to a stop when Voldemort, along with several other of his Death Eaters, managed to capture members of the DA — Fred Weasley, Cho Chang, Lisa Turpin and Seamus Finnegan. He held them hostage, promising their slow and painful deaths unless Harry Potter was turned over to him. Harry made his decision. He wasn’t giving up, but he would see his friends released, first. Harry made it two steps to the door when a hand clamped around his arm. He didn’t need to turn around to know that his wife was holding onto him. He closed his eyes waiting for the explosion that never came.

“I won’t stop you, but I fully intend to follow you, where ever it is you go.”

“Kinda figured that, Gin. The whole rings on the fingers thing. Well, come on.”

Together, the Potters made their way towards their captive friends — towards Tom Riddle.

The battle was surprisingly anti-climatic. Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand to the center of the circle of Death Eaters. Their friends protested, they — as were all those fighting in the resistance — were willing to die so that Harry could finish his work. Voldemort, however, kept his word and released his hostages before firing the killing curse at Harry. Harry fell lifelessly to the ground, his wife shrieking in grief, begging Voldemort to take her life as well. Voldemort shrugged and lackadaisically cast another killing curse at Ginny, only to have it rebound onto him.

The Death Eaters looked on in horror as their lord’s body fell lifelessly to the ground, just as Harry sat bolt-upright.

“Well, that was the last of them. Looks like you’re... Oh, he already found out,” commented the now living once more Harry.

Ginny threw herself at Harry, yelling and screeching at him for scaring her like that.

“Honestly, Gin, I didn’t know. Dumbledore explained it to me at the train station. His soul in my head, my blood in his body, it was all a bit confusing honestly. But in dying so that everyone else could live, not to mention apparently that wand he’s using should be mine, he was unable to kill anyone.” Harry shrugged, his face scrunching as if he were trying to remember something else. “Oh well, I’m sure it’ll come to me. Anyway, that’s it. All you tossers can surrender now.”

Harry held out his holly wand and the wand clutched in the now dead dark despot’s digits flew to his other hand. Pointing a wand in either direction at the Death Eaters around him while his wife pointed her wand to their front, he said, “Any time now.”

He had no delusions that they would comply, but he had hoped. Instead, a red curse came out of the mass of blacked robed wizards. He cried out, “ _Protego_!” and was himself surprised when two concentric shields, both exceptionally strong, popped up around him and Ginny. Ginny took advantage of the extra protection and began firing Stunners, Binding Charms, Impediment Jinxes and a host of other non-lethal spells at the enemy. The sounds of the battle attracted the attention of the freed hostages who called out to the castle for reinforcements.

In no time at all, the Death Eaters were surrounded and incapacitated. As efforts began to clean up the messes left at Hogwarts, the Ministry and the Wizarding world in general, Harry and Ginny came to the spontaneous conclusion that their job was done.

“You know, Harry. My love. My dearest husband.” Ginny stopped her teasing when Harry began to gag, “Yes, well, as I saying. We never did consummate our marriage.”

“Ginny? I believe you are entirely correct.”

Already people were calling to get the attention of The-Duo-That-Beat-He-Who-Must-Now-Be-Named-Because-He-Is-Most-Definitely-Dead, but Harry cast a quick disillusionment spell on the two of them and they ran off toward the castle, hand in hand, to find the nearest bed. Said bed came in the form of a guest bedroom in a hallway neither Harry or Ginny had ever really traveled before. Harry only knew it was their closest chance by remembering it from the Marauder’s Map. They found one of the doors open and went straight for the bed, shedding their clothes — and disillusionment charms — along the way.

Despite their immediate need, old habits were hard to break; their wands were on the mattress next to them. And so, when a familiar voice sounded at the doorway crying out ‘ _Bombarda_!,’ their wands were instantly in their hands. Harry cast another shield charm while Ginny cast a stunner. All three spells collided at the exact same moment, the two offensive spells simultaneously striking each other at the point of the shield. A concussion wave blast outward, throwing Peter Pettigrew forcefully against the stone wall, killing him instantly. Inside the shield, the force of the magical collision built and swirled before finally converging on pair of magic users at the center of the shield.

Harry found himself standing on the sewer-like floor of the Chamber of Secrets, Gryffindor’s sword in his noticeably smaller hand. Across from him, his eleven year old wife was lying on the floor, the shade of Tom Riddle standing over her. The look on Tom’s face when Ginny opened her eyes and started cursing at him using words and phrases no eleven year old ought to know, several making pointed references to his sexuality and possibly bestial parentage, would have been funny if it hadn’t been for the distinctly unpleasant hissing sound from behind him.

“Oh, bollocks!” he muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh, bollocks!” he muttered.

The statement interrupted Ginny from her tirade and she turned around, her face paling at the sight of the sixty foot basilisk rearing upright behind her apparently twelve year old husband.

“ _I know you can’t see it, but I have a long, sharp piece of Goblin wrought steel in my hand. So help me, I will shove it through your skull if you don’t_ back _the_ hell _off, NOW!_ ”

Behind Ginny, Tom’s already gobsmacked face changed expressions further, telling Harry that the giant snake was, in fact, taking his warning seriously.

“ _No!_ ” cried the Lord Voldemort wannabe. “ _I am your master! I am the heir! I told you to kill him!_ ”

Harry turned around to see the basilisk slithering away, its eyes ruined and its tongue flicking away. “ _Wait!_ ” cried out Harry. The serpent stopped, waiting. “ _Would you mind expressing some venom onto my sword? Please?_ ”

When the giant snake opened its mouth, Harry trotted on over and place the flat of the blade under the nearest, longest fang. “ _Go for it,_ ” he said. Several drops of thick, viscous, black liquid oozed out of the fang tip and onto the blade of the sword.

“ _Great. Thanks!_ ” said Harry, and the basilisk then head back into the mouth of the statue of Salazar Slytherin. Remembering how the shade of Riddle called forth the King of Serpents all those years ago — at least to him — he took the opportunity to tell off the founder. “ _Salazar, I really don’t care what you have to say. You can close your damn mouth now,_ ” yelled Harry. The mouth of the great statue closed.

He turned back to see the shade of Tom Riddle doing his best to pick up Harry’s wand from the floor. Unfortunately for Tom, Ginny’s return to consciousness weakened him enough that his hand kept passing through the wand. And the floor. And pretty much everything else.

Harry walked up to Ginny, holding the blade away from him while the venom impregnated itself into the steel. By the time he reached her, the sword was once again shiny steel.

“Here, Ginny. I think this time you should get the honors,” he said, offering her the sword hilt.

She gladly took the sword and, facing Tom, said, “Bugger off,” as she drove the sword clean through the diary on the floor. Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they watched together as the shade exploded in a brilliant light show. Harry admired Ginny as she looked on with an extremely satisfied expression.

“Oh!” cried Harry, suddenly. “I remember now!”

Ginny turned her head to face Harry and quirked her eyebrow. Harry decided that it looked really cute on her as an eleven year old.

“The other thing Dumbledore told me, when I was dead. I remember it now.”

“Do tell,” said Ginny.

“We’re under orders from above to have fun.” At Ginny’s continued stare, the one that promised pain unless there was further information coming, he explained, “Since Tom took my childhood — and yours for that matter — from us, I was told that no matter what happened, we are supposed to have fun doing it.”

“Um, if we’re doing it over, what about Riddle? He’s still out there, you know.”

“Yeah, but the prophesy still stands, and we know enough about it all to keep him away, pretty much. Right?”

“Hmm, well, I guess. But if you get hurt, I’m finding the first spell I can that will send me up there and I’m kicking the crap out of whoever _they_ are.” Her anger melted away as she looked at Harry, then she swore, “Damnit! Couldn’t they have waited ten more minutes?!”

“Uh, Gin?”

“Harry, we’re eleven and twelve. We can’t really do what we were about to do before we got sent here for a little while yet. It only needed to be ten more minutes!” she yelled and continued swearing under her breath.

“Ginny? Love? I didn’t marry you to sleep with you — even if we were doing that anyway. If I have to wait to do it again, I will. I’ll make do with kissing for now. We’ll figure the rest out later. Okay?”

Ginny’s anger went out of her once again and she leaned into Harry. They took a moment to properly kiss, their bodies just able to tingle, which was enough for them... for now.

After collecting the sword, hat, diary and Harry’s wand, they went back to the cave-in and helped Ron. Fawkes once again provided the transportation out of the Chamber. The trio left the their hapless professor in the girls lavatory went straight to the Headmaster’s office. Harry began to swear as he couldn’t remember the password from five years prior, but stopped when the gargoyle opened by itself.

They walked straight into the headmaster’s office and were instantly engulfed in a hug from Mrs. Weasley.

“Ginny, you’re safe! And you boys saved her! How did you do it?!” she cried.

“Yes, I believe we’d all like to know that answer,” commented Professor McGonagall from her position by the mantle piece.

“Perhaps they would answer if they could breath?” commented the Headmaster.

Mrs. Weasley released her hug and started scanning her children, Harry included, up and down. Ron was smart enough to back away, but while Ginny looked about to do the same, her mother managed to to catch her and Harry up in another hug. Ron took it upon himself to start the tale for his the others.

“Well, Hermione figured it out, really. It was a basilisk.” He had to wait a moment as everyone in the office reacted with shouts and gasps. Even Harry and Ginny reacted, though it was entirely likely that their sounds were do to an increase in pressure from his mother. “We found Professor Lockhart trying to run away, so we, um... we forced him at wand point to help up.” He looked guiltily at the Headmaster and his Head of House. “I mean, he was the Defense teacher and all that.”

Professor McGonagall gave him a stern glare, but the Headmaster was smiling at him, obviously waiting for him to continue.

“Using Hermione’s notes, we figured the basilisk was moving through the pipes, and based on the location of the message, it only made sense that the entrance was in that bathroom. Harry spoke some Parseltongue, we found the entrance, and we went into the Chamber.

“That’s when Lockhart tried to Obliviate us. Oh! You might want to send someone to pick him up from the loo. His spell kind of backfired.”

“In that case, I doubt he’s hurting anyone in there, Mr. Weasley. Please continue,” said Dumbledore.

“Well, that’s just it. His spell brought down the roof and I was separated from Harry, I don’t know what happened next.”

“Molly,” admonished the Headmaster. “If you could please let the children continue?”

“Oh! Yes, of course,” she apologized, releasing Harry and Ginny, but only moving a single step away, as if they would disappear at any moment.

“You wanna take this, or should I?” asked Harry.

“I guess I can start,” sighed Ginny. She tossed the diary onto the Headmaster’s desk. “Lucius Malfoy put that in my cauldron at Flourish and Blotts back in August.”

“Ginny!” interrupted her mother. “Do not throw around accusations you can’t prove.”

“I don’t know about proof, but we know he did it. We’ll get to that in a minute,” she said. “I was a bit alone at the beginning. My brothers had their own friends and didn’t spend much time with me. And it didn’t help that I was still a bit awestruck by Harry, here.”

“You mean you’re not still?” asked Harry, affected a hurt look upon his face.

“Yes, dear, I will always be awed at you, just maybe for different things,” she quipped. Harry release a loud, melodramatic sigh. “Right. So, I wrote in the diary, it seemed like a good way to figure out my feelings. I was a bit surprised when it wrote back, though. Sorry dad, I know I couldn’t see its brain, but...”

Mr. Weasley smiled at his daughter, his nod being all she needed.

“Long story short, it wrote back, attacked my mind and took me over for increasing periods of time. If you look, Headmaster, it was the diary of one Tom Marvolo Riddle.”

The Headmaster’s perpetual smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed as looked at the diary on his desk. “I see. And the basilisk?”

“My turn?” asked Harry. At Ginny’s nod, he explained, “Well, um, let’s see if I remember this right.”

“Harry!” admonished Ginny.

“Right, well, I found Ginny on the floor near dead. The shade of Tommy had come out of the diary and explained the whole thing to me. It was all quite villainish. Then he called the basilisk and told me it wouldn’t answer to me. Then, um... right, Fawkes showed up with the hat — thanks Fawkes,” he shot to the bird over on its perch. There was a trilling response that eased a bit of the tension that was forming in the room. “Then the sword came out of the hat and Fawkes did me the favor of blinding the snake.”

When it was clear that Harry wasn’t continuing the story, Professor McGonagall berated him. “Well? What happened next, Mr. Potter? And we would appreciate it if you treated this situation with the seriousness it deserves.”

“Which time?” asked Harry.

“Which ti... The time you rescued Miss Weasley, which time do you think?!” admonished Professor McGonagall.

“Oh, the first time then. I ran away for a bit — a sixty foot snake is a bit scary, even for a Gryffindor — and when it was clear I needed to kill it or Ginny would die, I shoved the sword into its mouth and up into its brain. Stabbed myself with a fang in the process.

“I used the fang to kill the diary and Fawkes healed my arm, saving me from the poison. I, uh, think that’s it. Did I miss anything, Gin?”

“How would I know? I was unconscious for most of that time.”

“Oh yeah.”

The adults in the room were, by this point, a bit confused at how the two children were acting. Ron appeared similarly baffled and offered no further clarification. Harry and Ginny appeared to be holding a silent conversation by staring at each other. Finally Dumbledore broke the silence that had ensued.

“Harry, not to contradict you, but this hole in the diary appears to have been made from a sword, not a fang.”

“It was,” Harry replied.

“Would you mind explaining?” asked an increasingly exasperated Professor McGonagall.

“That was the second time,” answered Ginny.

“There’s only one hole,” commented Dumbledore.

“Right,” answered Ginny and Harry together.

Glancing around the room, Dumbledore noticed the expressions varied from worried — in the case of the Weasleys — to annoyed and exasperated — in the case of his deputy and probably himself — to amused — in the case of the pair of children causing the rest of the reactions.

“Obviously there is something else going on that you’re not telling us. I must ask that you explain everything now, before this gets too out of hand,” stated Dumbledore.

“I guess we really ought to tell them,” said Ginny.

“Probably,” agreed Harry. He took a moment to decide exactly how to explain, but ultimately concluded that the direct way was best. “We’ve done this all before. We’re from the future, kind of. At least as far as I understand it.”

Ginny continued, “Tom came back. We fought him. We won. But it took several years and quite a few lives. When we were done, we beat him. Harry and I were looking at finally having some time together not constantly on the run.”

Mrs. Weasley now appeared quite worried at the declaration. Dumbledore, though, looked as if he were going to take their statements at face value, at least for the time being. “If you everything turned out well, why did you come back?” he asked.

“We didn’t _come_ back,” spat Ginny. She was obviously upset at the reminder of what they had been interrupted in doing. “We were _sent_ back.”

“And why were you _sent_ back, Miss Weasley?” asked Professor McGonagall.

“Potter,” corrected Ginny.

“Excuse me?” asked several people in the room.

“Mrs. Potter. I don’t know if the marriage actually carried when we came back, but I don’t care. I was Mrs. Potter then, and I’m Mrs. Potter now.”

“Absolutely not!” cried Mrs. Weasley. “Albus, obviously something else happened down there. My eleven year old daughter is most _definitely_ not married. I would not give my permission!”

“Patience, Molly. We will figure this out.”

“Actually, Headmaster, I don’t know if the marriage carried, either. But I think I know of a way to see if certain magical associations remain,” said Harry.

“Oh? Please do explain.”

“Can I see your wand, Headmaster?”

The shock on the Headmaster’s face was priceless. That single statement told him many things that he hoped weren’t true. But, since Harry had asked, he had to assume they might be. Quickly schooling his thoughts and emotions, he handed his wand, handle first, to his student.

Harry grabbed the wand and gave it a flick. Tiny snitches made of light emerged from the tip and began darting around the room.

“I probably shouldn’t ask,” said the Headmaster, “but... no, nevermind. I won’t ask.”

“You want to know how?” asked Harry.

“I do, but I shouldn’t. We don’t want to mess with time. Dangerous things have happened to wizards who have messed with time.”

Harry gave a quick laugh, “Yeah, so I’ve heard. But it’s not a concern in this case.”

“Oh?”

“Well,” explained Ginny. “It goes back to why we were sent here. Harry was informed by the powers-that-be that no matter what, we’re to have fun.”

“Fun?” erked Professor McGonagall. At Ginny’s explanation, Harry’s face had adopted a look that worried her; it reminded her unsettlingly of a group of students she had near fifteen years ago.

“That’s what Professor Dumbledore told me, Professor. When I, uh, died, he told me that no matter what happened, Ginny and I were to have fun. It was a payment of sorts for everything we’ve been through.”

“I tol... No, if you can use my wand, of course I was over there.”

“If it helps, Professor, it was a part of your plan with Snape. It almost worked, too, but circumstances left you vulnerable.”

Dumbledore nodded calculatingly. “You died?”

“It wasn’t for long.”

Professor McGonagall huffed and Mrs. Weasley let out a sob. Finally, Professor Dumbledore asked, “So, assuming we take all of this as true: you two are married, you’ve come back in time... what now?”

“We told you,” said Ginny. “We have fun.”

“I figured that much out, thank you, Miss — I’m sorry, Mrs. Potter,” commented Dumbledore. “I meant, what about school? You said it took several years. How many are we talking about?”

Harry answered for her, “Well, I didn’t go to my seventh year. I had to finish a task you left me, sir. And Ginny caught up with us a few months later.”

“I see. Would you want to move up to your sixth and seventh years? After a test to assure us that your knowledge is indeed that advanced.”

Harry and Ginny looked to each other askance. Having only arrived a mere hour or so prior, they hadn’t really given much thought to the future of their current situation. Mrs. Weasley, though, was now sputtering. Things were quickly spinning out of control.

“Albus! Stop encouraging their foolishness. I don’t know what happened in that dreadful place, but my daughter is not moving up to sixth year.”

“I’m sorry, Molly, but if Harry can use my wand, I see little else to contradict their story. I am, of course, waiting to see the results of any tests we give them to make my final determination. Until then, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“Actually, Professor,” interrupted Ginny. “I think I might agree with my mum for now. I don’t really want to move to the sixth year. I don’t know how much fun it would be to be ostracized by a bunch of kids who are supposedly five years older than me.”

“And I’d really like to stick with my friends, Headmaster. Through it all, Ron and Hermione were with us.” He paused to throw a grin at a thoroughly dumbfounded Ron. “I don’t want to leave them, now. I’d really like to keep my friends. If we were to move up, I might still consider them my friends, but they probably wouldn’t see it that way.”

“I can see how that might be true. But what about your classes? Surely you would get bored retaking everything.”

“More time to have fun,” explained Harry. There was another very strangled ‘ _urk_ ’ from the direction of Professor McGonagall. “That, and I figure I’ll take different classes this time. I don’t really need _divination_ ,” Dumbledore actually winced a bit at Harry’s accusation, “And as much as I love Hagrid, his choices for Care aren’t really standard. I’ll need to find another way to keep up with him as a friend, but I can really use the extra period for Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, which I didn’t take last time. I can also use the refresher on Transfiguration, it wasn’t my strongest subject. Defence and Charms were, though it would look a bit suspicious if I stopped going.”

“Indeed,” agreed the Headmaster. “Once again, assuming you do well on your tests, I’m sure we can work something out. What about you Mrs. Potter?”

“I’m not sure. I spent way too long waiting for Harry to come around and I don’t want to be separated from him again, but like him, I don’t really want to be moved from my friends.”

“Well then, why don’t you, your husband-”

“Albus!” yelled Mrs. Weasley, her eyes beginning to tear. “Please, please stop saying that. She... she’s too young. Only eleven...”

As she finally broke down, her husband gathered her in his arms. “It will be okay, Molly.”

Ginny stepped away from Harry and hugged her mother from behind. “Mum, I don’t love you any less. But I’m sixteen years old, almost seventeen. And I’ve been through hell and back, literally. You’ll always be my mother, but I need Harry. I really do.”

Molly turned in her husband’s arms to hug her little girl, nodding sadly as she did.

While they worked out their feelings, Dumbledore addressed Harry once more. “I assume you know why I must ask if you will return to your relatives?”

“I do know. But actually, sir, I wanted to sta... Bloody hell! Sirius!” yelled Harry, startling everyone. Their looks of surprise and disbelief turned into confusion as he ran out of the office angrily yelling, “ _Peter!!!!!!_ ”

It took a moment for anyone to respond.

“Mrs. Potter, perhaps you could shed some li...” But Dumbledore was cut off as his office door slammed open and Lucius Malfoy regally strode in, accompanied by his house elf, Dobby. Dumbledore looked up and very pleasantly greeted him. “Ah. Good evening, Lucius.”


	3. Chapter 3

Lucius Malfoy and Dumbledore were discussing the various merits and drawbacks of threatening school board members. Of course, their ‘discussion’ involved Lucius throwing around thinly veiled threats and Dumbledore neatly deflecting all of them. Ginny very nearly hexed Malfoy where he stood when he started aiming his threats at her, declaring the need for time in Azkaban for her role in opening the Chamber. As it was, Ginny was about to say something about Malfoy’s association with the Death Eaters and her curiosity as to whether Draco might actually be the result of a union between Lucius and one of the senior Messrs Goyle or Crabbe when Harry burst back into the office.

“Hah! Found him! The little blighter was trying to run from me.” He was haphazardly waving an agitated Scabbers around when he noticed the newest addition to the room. “Oh! Mr. Malfoy, so good to see you. I have a friend of yours here.”

“A rat? How droll, Potter.”

“Scabbers!” cried out Ron. “Harry, what are you doing? Give my rat here!”

“Well, yeah, I guess he is a rat no matter how you look at him, but I’m pretty sure you knew that. You sure you don’t recognize him?”

“Quite, Potter. Now, enough of this foolishness. What’s to be done about the Weasley girl.”

Ignoring the second part of the statement, Harry said, “Really? Let’s see what the rat has to say. Professors? Do either of you know the spell for forcing an Animagus to change?” When both of them nodded he said with a grin, “Great, let’s see how your reflexes are!” and threw the rat into the air, pulling his own wand and aiming it as the rat arced towards Lucius Malfoy

He noticed that McGonagall’s wand was in her hand, but, belying his age, Dumbledore had managed to both grab his wand and cast the spell with unerring accuracy, a look of mild amusement on his face. It seemed the Headmaster was willing to accept Harry’s actions, at least for now. There were gasps around the room as a fairly short, fat man thudded to the floor at Malfoy’ feet.

“Surely you recognize your old friend Peter, Lucius,” taunted Harry. “Tell me, were you aware of his status among the living? Because if you were, I’m sure the Wizengamot would be concerned as to why you never mentioned it when Sirius Black was imprisoned for his murder.”

“I assure you, Potter,” sneered Malfoy, first at Harry, then at the man cowering at his feet. “Had I known of this man’s survival, I would have most certainly taken action. He has _much_ to answer for, not the least of which is his disappearance after the Dark Lord’s death.”

Peter’s eyes darted widely around the room, looking very much the trapped rat in human form. He was very clearly afraid, and made a sudden break for the door, but found himself quickly wrapped in ropes.

“Now, now, Peter. It’s not very nice to go running from your best friend’s son, especially as it’s our first chance to talk in twelve years,” commented Harry, who had cast the spell. “So, _Wormtail_ , how good a friend were you to my parents?”

“Harry? Harry!” the rat-man stuttered. “I... I hardly recognized you.”

“Come now, Peter, I sincerely doubt that. You’ve known me for nearly two years, now. I can’t look that much different to rat than I do to a human.”

“As interesting as this all is,” interrupted Lucius Malfoy, “I must ask what is going to be done about the Weasley girl. Then you may all go back to discussing the whereabouts of this... man.”

Ginny made a lunge at Lucius, only to be caught around the waist by Harry. “Don’t worry, Gin. We’ll work it out.”

“She made to attack me! She is obviously still a danger! As a School Governor, I demand her arrest and removal from the school.”

“I’m afraid, Lucius,” said Dumbledore, “That the removal of a student is a power that resides solely with the Headmaster unless overridden unanimously by the board. And after your current escapades, I have doubts as to your hope of a unanimous vote.

“As for her culpability, Mr. Malfoy, tell me: Do you recognize that diary?” he indicated the book on the desk with a motion of his head.

There was a gasp from Pettigrew on the floor as Malfoy responded with a sneer, “No, why should I?” He stared into Harry’s eyes, clearly waiting for the twelve year old to back down. After a couple moments, Harry leaned to whisper in Ginny’s ear.

“We can never prove it. I’ll go after him if you want. Or, we can free Dobby. It’s your choice.”

Ginny moved her glare from Malfoy to the diminutive elf hiding behind him. She knew how much the elf meant to her husband, the friend he was, and the tension left her body.

“Thanks, Gin,” he whispered before addressing Malfoy once more. “Fine, stick with that story. But you will free your elf.”

“I... Most certainly not, boy! How dare you dictate to me!” was the incredulous response.

“Mr. Malfoy, despite what we can or cannot prove, you know of the diary and you know the man in front of you. Think very carefully about what will come out when we question him. If you wish to save face and keep us off your back...”

“For now,” muttered Ginny.

“Then you will free your elf.”

Lucius Malfoy continued to glare at Harry and Ginny. He then looked around the room, noticing the pointed stares back at him from all the occupants. He appeared to weigh his options, and then, recognizing a losing fight, declared, “Very well. The wretched creature is more trouble than it is worth, anyway.” He removed a glove from his hand and presented it to his elf. “Dobby, you have disgraced your House. The Family Malfoy no longer requires your services.”

When Dobby reverently took the proffered piece of clothing, Lucius glared once more around the room. “Potter, mark my words, you will meet the same end as your parents if you continue your current path.”

“Was that a threat, Lucius?” asked Arthur Weasley.

“Merely an observation, Arthur.” One more glance about the room and he strode from the office.

Dobby glanced at his savior who winked at him. Dobby, in response, snapped his fingers. This was followed by a shout of surprise from the staircase, followed by a thud and the sound of someone sliding on stone. Harry and Ginny looked out the door and, from their angle, were able to see that the stairs in the stairwell were mysteriously missing, a ramp in their place.

There was a moment of silence that was finally broken by Dobby, “Harry Potter is truly the greatest wizard ever!”

After a choking noise from Professor McGonagall and a grin from the Headmaster, Harry responded, “Dobby, you’re... I’d like to consider you a friend.”

Dobby nodded his head, tears streaming from his bulbous eyes, “Dobby would be most honored, Harry Potter, sir.”

“I know you are worried about what you will do now, Dobby, and I want to help you. But there are things we have to work out here, first.” At Dobby’s nod of understanding, Harry continued, “Until we have everything worked out, could you please go and contact Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing and inform her about Professor Lockhart in the second floor girl’s loo? Perhaps help her with whatever she needs until we’re finished?”

“Anything for Harry Potter, sir!” and Dobby was gone with a pop.

“That was very kind of you, Harry,” commented the Headmaster. “I assume there was a reason?”

“First thing’s first, Headmaster,” said Harry, nodding towards Peter.

“Ah yes, I hadn’t forgotten. So, Peter,” addressed Dumbledore. “Is there anything you wish to tell us? Perhaps why you have been hiding with the Weasleys? Or here at the castle? Perhaps about Halloween, eleven years ago?”

“Headmaster! He made me! The Dark Lord, he has powerful methods of persuasion. I didn’t want to tell him, but he would have killed me!”

“Then you should have _died_ , you cowardly rat! My parents are _dead_! Sirius is in prison! And what about that?! You knew he was innocent, and you let him _rot_ there,” Harry finished, the venomous accusation clear in voice.

“I... I...” he stuttered, but it was clear nothing he could say would do.

“I take you were actually the Secret Keeper?” inquired the Headmaster. At Peter’s nod, he said, “A sensible precaution. Protect the true Keeper by maintaining that it was another. It probably would have worked, too.

“Very well. I hereby call for your arrest, Peter Pettigrew. Aurors will be by shortly to take you into custody. In the meantime, I have no choice but to declare you a danger to the castle and its students.”

At his statement, there was a bright flash and Pettigrew was no longer in the office.

“Albus?” asked Molly.

“A rarely used function of the castle’s protective charms. At my declaration, the spells worked to protect the students. Peter is now enjoying the comfort of one of the dungeon cells in an unused part of the castle. He will be kept there until I release him to the Aurors.

“Now, not that it’s truly important, but I would like to know: The elf?”

Ginny responded on Harry’s behalf, “Dobby was a very good friend to Harry. We lost track of him during sixth year — well, my sixth. Anyway, he’s also a bit excitable. We didn’t really need him here for this, and Harry discovered the best way to get rid of Dobby was to find something for him to do. It only ever really worked for Harry, though.”

“Very well. So, I assume it goes without saying that you would like Sirius free?”

“Yes!” shouted Harry and Ginny together.

“Unfortunately, it may not be that easy, but I will do what I can. Sirius will be out within the month. Which brings me back to our earlier matter. Your relatives, Harry?”

“I’m staying with Sirius.”

“Ah, right. Well, I would still ask that you return. I am fairly confident that you can protect yourself, you have so far convinced me of the truth to your story. But, all things considered, it would be a shame to let the protections degrade when they provide a use. One month is all I ask. Your godfather will be free by then.”

Harry tightened his arms around Ginny and declared, “I’m not leaving my wife.”

Dumbledore looked at the Weasley parents. Molly was still having trouble accepting all they had been told, but Arthur let out a long sigh and then slowly, sadly nodded his head. “Very well, Mr. Potter. We will hook up the Dursley floo so that it is accessible from the Burrow. Ginny, you will visit your parents?”

“Yes. I think I would miss the chance to be with them all again like this. But I will be spending much of my time with Harry.”

“Understandable. I think that covers most of it for now. Is there anything else? Anyone else to tell?”

Harry answered, “I don’t think we’re telling anyone else. We’re not hiding it; if certain people figure it out, we will tell the truth, but there are people we don’t want to know.”

“What about sleeping until we go home?” asked Ginny.

The Headmaster turned to look at their Head of House who sighed, nodded and left the office. Harry was able to see her cast a quick spell at the stairwell before making her way down the now-once-more stairs.

“Hogwarts is a school. But more importantly, a sanctuary for learning. Over the centuries, there have been students who married against the wishes of their families. To keep these unions secret — providing sanctuary — certain spells are available for our use. Professor McGonagall has gone to recast one of them.

“The two of you will need to go to sleep in your normal beds to maintain our fiction. But, with the spell active, once each of you are in bed, your two beds will occupy the same space, being in fact a single, larger bed. If either of you leaves the bed, you will exit into your own dorm. The spell will not activate if the two of you get into the same bed. There will be certain modified silencing and compulsion charms to keep others from determining what is happening.”

He then looked at Mrs. Weasley, “This will also let us know if they are truly married. The spell will only work in the presence of a marriage.”

After nods of agreement from everyone present, Dumbledore continued, “Well then, it has been quite the evening. I have a professor to check on in the hospital. Why don’t you all say your goodbyes to your family — though you’ll see each other in just a few days — and then head on to bed. And Harry? Ginny? If the charm does not take, please let us know.”

It was a long discussion with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before they finally agreed to go with the plans as they stood. Mrs. Weasley agreed to come up with something to tell her other sons, and Arthur and Ron would help maintain the story. It was with tears that she hugged both of her children and Harry goodbye, leaving the three students to make their way back to their tower.

At the portrait of the Fat Lady, Professor McGonagall confirmed that they knew how the charms worked and then bade them goodnight. The common room was buzzing with speculation, and it exploded when the trio walked in. Ron stepped up in his role as best friend and big brother, along with Percy’s help, in keeping everyone at bay for the moment. With promises that they would explain some things in the morning, they made their way up to their rooms.

After cleaning up and changing into night clothes, Harry climbed into his bed, shut the curtains and was thrilled to find Ginny waiting in his bed.

“So, we beat Tom twice today,” commented Harry.

“That was earlier today, wasn’t it?” agreed Ginny with a realization.

“At least our marriage held, I don’t think I could stand fighting with your mother to make this happen again,” he said, holding tightly to her.

“It’s over, for now at any rate. Just get some sleep. Tomorrow we start to fulfill your new destiny.”

“Mmmm, fun. I get to have a childhood.”

Ginny was honestly happy for her husband. Of all the things he missed in life, he at least had this chance once more. Together, they drifted off to sleep, plans of activities and pranks romping through their dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

“Leave him alone, he’ll be awake, soon, anyway!”

Harry recognized Ron’s voice.

“Come on, Ron, you want to know the story, too. Harry won’t mind!”

That was Dean’s voice. Harry felt Ginny stiffen in his arms. He then remembered that Dean was her boyfriend in her fifth year. She must have just realized he was just outside their bed.

“I already know the story; I was there when he told the headmaster. He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

“Dean, let him sleep. Whatever it was that made it a story, it had to be tiring, y’know?”

That was Seamus, but his voice was overlapped by someone else’s.

“Everyone’s waiting downstairs, let’s go too.”

That must have been one of Ginny’s roommates, Harry had never really gotten to know them well. He hadn’t thought about the fact that they would be able to hear both rooms.

“We could just ask her now.”

“No, let her sleep. She’ll wake up soon anyway, and then we can hear with everyone else.”

“They’re gone.” That was Ron, again. “I’m going, too. But they’re right, everyone is waiting in the common room, I took a look when I went to the loo. By the way, is Ginny there?”

“Yeah,” grunted Harry. Waking up was never his favorite part of the day, especially not with everyone waiting for a new story about him.

“There’s a silencing charm,” said Ginny from his arms. “Remember? McGonagall told us.”

“Oh, right.” He opened his curtain to let Ron see in.

Harry took notice as Ron’s faced darkened slightly upon seeing his sister in bed with his best friend, but thankfully, he didn’t comment other than saying, “I’ll be in the common room. I’ll need to know the story you use so I don’t mess up and say something wrong.”

“Git,” muttered Ginny after Harry let the curtain drop closed. “I’m not dealing with his whole protective thing a second time. If he doesn’t back off...”

“Don’t worry, Gin. I think by now we know all his weak points. Fun can be had.”

Ginny snorted, then rolled over in Harry’s arms and looked him in the face. “You know, I almost forgot how cute you looked back, um... now,” she said.

“You’re pretty adorable, yourself. I wish I had noticed the first time,” he said as he gave her a peck on the nose.

“None of that. We’re married and we’re of age... kind of. So _this_ is what I want.” She reached around, grabbed his head from the back, and pulled him in for a real kiss. Young or not, it was quite enjoyable. “And we _will_ finish what we started before our little trip as soon as we’re able, you hear me?” she declared.

“Can’t wait,” Harry agreed. “In the meantime, however, perhaps we should get up and tell our adoring fans.... something?”

After another pleasurable kiss, Ginny hopped out of bed and, to Harry’s eyes, disappeared. He then got out of his own bed, grabbed a towel, and made towards the showers.

Ten minutes later, Harry found himself dressed in his old Gryffindor uniform and entering the not-so-surprisingly full common room. It seemed that no one in his house had gone to breakfast, yet. Everyone started chattering at him at once when he entered the room, and despite Ron and Percy’s attempts, they wouldn’t calm down. It annoyed Harry more than he remembered. This had, in fact, happened at least once each of his years at Hogwarts, but he had been away for a year this time — missing his seventh year and all that.

Despite his resolve to have fun, he was on the edge of loosing his temper — who could have fun when no one would actually listen? - and then Ginny appeared on the girls staircase. The noise only got louder as everyone who had not been yelling questions now began firing them at Ginny. To Harry, though, everything was now just fine. Ginny — who had been with him through the worst of everything, who had defeated Tom Riddle by his side twice — was now here with him.

“Alright, everyone!” he shouted, causing only a few of the residents to quiet down. “Gryffindor questions first!”

That got everyone quiet. There was some snickering from the twins — they had, of course, gotten the joke right away, but were waiting for the punchline. It was Dean who finally spoke up.

“Um, Harry? What are you talking about?”

“Well, I figured that with everyone here, my own house — Gryffindor — should get to ask their questions first.”

“But mate, we’re all Gryffindor here.”

“Well, then, we’re off to a wonderful start!” smiled Harry.

The twins were now snickering a bit louder, Ginny was grinning at him, and the rest of the house was looking at him as if he were a nutter. Harry watched as slowly, the realization of his little joke made its way around the room. Fred and George went from snickering to outright laughing, several other members of the house joining in. Most of the rest of the house had the grace to look embarrassed at their actions.

“Great! Now, show of hands: Who wants to know what happened?” Almost the entire house raised their hand. Those who didn’t were Harry’s close friends who were obviously there for him, even if they really did want to know what happened. “Alright. Well, some of the story isn’t mine to tell, and once I’m done, I expect you all to help spread the story on my behalf so I don’t have to tell this a hundred times a day. Just make sure the story doesn’t get too much out of hand, please. I’ve had enough trouble this year as the Heir of Slytherin.”

More than a few members of Gryffindor House ducked their heads in shame. It didn’t escape most student’s notice that these were also the same students yelling the loudest at him to explain a few moments ago.

Harry started to tick off points on his fingers. “Right, so... Yes, there is a Chamber of Secrets. Yes, it was Slytherin’s, and yes, there is a monster in it. No, I’m not telling anyone where it is — I don’t want anyone trying to face the monster on their own. He and I have come to a... well, an accord of sorts. The monster won’t be attacking anyone anytime soon.

“As for the girl taken, well, she is safe and sound. It will be up to her to tell her side, if she wants. No one will bother her whether she does or doesn’t tell her story — though if she does, I have a feeling quite a few of you will owe her an apology.

“Now, any other questions? A show of hands, please.” There were a few hands, so he called on the closest, a female fourth year he thought. “Yes?”

“Well, there are rumors that You-Know-Who was somehow involved. Especially, since he was considered to be Slytherin’s Heir?”

“Ah, well, I’m afraid those rumors may have a bit of truth to them.” There were a couple shouts of surprise around the common room, so Harry continued just a bit louder than before, talking right over everyone, even after their reaction to his next word, “Voldemort was kind of involved. I think the important part for everyone to know is that no, he did not come back to life or anything in the Chamber, he remains as he was after he tried to kill me.”

“But you killed him then!” someone shouted from the middle of the room, only to be shushed.

“Did I? I really wouldn’t know, would I? But whatever happened to him, it hasn’t been changed by this. So, that’s the quick version. I may or may not answer more questions later, depending on how rude people are to me. For now, I’m hungry and going to breakfast.”

Ron helped clear a path to the door that Harry walked through, Ginny quickly catching up from the back and grabbing his hand. There were quite a few comments about her actions — especially the hand holding — but they were ignored by Harry and Ginny who ended up leading their house down the the Great Hall.

The effect when they entered the mealtime hall was noticeable. To all appearances, a united Gryffindor entered as a single house supporting the off-again-on-again hero Harry Potter. Once the house spread out and sat at their table, normal conversation resumed in the Great Hall. It stopped once again, however, when, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Colin Creevey and Hermione appeared in the main doorway, smiling.

The members of their houses started cheering when their newly unpetrified classmates joined them. Hermione sat in an open spot between Ron and Neville, across from Harry and Ginny. Her ever inquisitive gaze immediately took in Ginny sitting with them, next to Harry, and the apparent lack of space between the two.

“So, is that real?” she asked them.

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other. Ginny shrugged, so Harry responded, “Yeah.”

“But.. You’re too young. I mean, don’t you think it’s too early for something like that? And when did it happen anyway? I wasn’t out for that long!”

“Some things have happened since the Chamber that led us to believe we belong together,” explained Harry with a smile.

“Some things? Since the Chamber? What could have... wait, the Chamber? You found it?”

The surrounding Gryffindors laughed at her rapid-fire questions, their house-mate really was back and well.

“Yes, Hermione, the Chamber. You were right. I found it and the monster. You were right about that, too. They won’t be problems anymore.”

“I was right? So it really was a-”

“Yes, Hermione.”

“But how did you kill it? And you still didn’t answer me about what could have happened _since_ the Chamber. I mean, really wha-”

“Hermione!” interrupted Harry. He looked at Ginny who nodded this time. Over a whole year on the run together, they had developed the ability to accurately guess at each others thoughts. That they were so well suited to each other as a couple helped. “Hermione, you're one of my best friends. But I can’t go through this again. Your inquisitiveness helped us. We never would have been able to figure this all out without you.

“But, you really need to realize that not everything is a puzzle that needs to be solved immediately, nor in front of everyone. We know you’re smart, you have nothing to prove to us. We’re your friends, okay?”

Hermione looked around sheepishly, noticing those closest to her smirking. “Sorry,” she replied.

Ginny smiled and said, “We’ll answer your questions later. Anyone in Gryffindor can tell you what Harry told us, and I’m sure you can put together the rest.”

Hermione nodded, but was prevented from further comments when Hagrid appeared.

“That’s one out of Azkaban,” murmured Harry to his wife. “I really wish the other one were out _now_.”

“I know, Harry. He’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

Like the recovered students before him, Hagrid made his way into the hall against a raucous applause. He stopped to thank Harry and Ron for proving his innocence, nearly knocking Harry off the bench cuffing him on the shoulder and made his way to the staff table.

Dumbledore stood to welcome back the students and his wayward groundskeeper and declared that, as a gift, there would be no final exams. Among the cheers — and Hermione’s cry of horror — he continued to announce the feast that would begin. Food would be served all day and into the night. Large Hagrid and little Flitwick whooped together while Professor McGonagall gave a stern look at the Headmaster. Snape scowled at everyone and stalked from the head head table in a snit.

During the feast — well, party actually — Justin came up and stutteringly apologized to Harry. Apparently, not only did he believe that Harry had set the snake on him, making him the Heir of Slytherin in the Hufflepuff’s mind, he also spent a fair amount of time winding up the rumor mill himself in retribution for the snake incident.

Harry was honestly thinking of hedging his acceptance, making Justin feel even more guilty for what he did, but Ginny’s hand on the small of his back told him to reconsider. It didn’t matter that he was, in mind anyway, several years older than the other boy; it was that, even after all this time, he still got a bit angry at the way everyone had treated him. In the end, though, he shook Justin’s hand and smiled, accepting his apology.

As the day went on, the party became more rowdy. Students flitted as couples and groups in and out of the Hall. Filch could be heard throughout the day in various parts of the castle screaming at students making use of the more or less unsupervised free time. Snape was often seen stalking the hallways ripping open broom cupboard doors.

At one point, the greasy haired professor cast an unlocking spell and yanked open a broom closet door just as the Weasley twins rounded the corner. An explosion that contained no force burst from the enclosed space, causing the potions master to flinch. When everyone could see again, the twins fell over in laughter at their least favorite teacher.

Snape was now dressed in purple riding breeches with yellow stripes, shiny black riding boots and a pink with silver polka-dotted riding jacket. His hair, while not having lost any of its greasiness, was no longer slicked back, but rather stuck out in all directions. The colorfulness was almost painful to the eyes.

There was a mirror mounted to the inside of the now open door — though none of the other cupboards had one. The instant he saw himself in it, he whipped around to the twins, who were now having trouble breathing, and docked them 100 points for the prank, 10 for laughing at a professor and 20 for being stupid enough to hang around and watch the results. Stalking off, he missed the brothers attempts at denying their involvement — attempts that failed due to their continuing struggles at breathing.

Harry and Ginny spent much of the evening in their bed for a little bit of private time. They stripped down out of their bulky clothes so that they could be close. Their time was spent snogging, caressing each other, snogging, talking and snogging. It was the most honestly relaxing time they could remember since the beginning of their last school year. They weren’t being hunted, they weren’t exhausted and they thoroughly enjoyed their time with each other in a way they hadn’t been able to in a long while.

Eventually, though, their stomachs told them it was time to eat again, despite the late hour. Of course, the empty dorm rooms also told them that everyone was still out celebrating. They each got out of bed, threw back on some clothes and robes and met in the common room to head to the Great Hall.

Once there, they sat next to each other, across from Hermione who was in discussion with Neville. She gave them both a once over with her keen eye and went back to her conversation. Most of the food that had been present throughout the day had disappeared and only the desserts were left. Ginny was reaching for some tart for both her and Harry when she saw Hermione flick her wand at them. A scrap of parchment fluttered to the table between them. Harry looked at it and turned red, passing it to Ginny.

_Next time, you might want to put back on the same clothes, and make sure they’re done up right._

_-HG_

Ginny glanced down at her blouse, visible through her open robes and noticed that her buttons were, in fact, not even. A glance at Harry showed his shirt was the same. They grinned at each other and pulled their robes closed when a pair of cupcakes popped into existence in front of them. What surprised them, though, was that each cupcake was comprised of three, tiny tiers with white icing and a green letter ‘P’ on the top. They looked up at the Head Table and saw Professor McGonagall give them each a nod with a tight lipped smile, and next to her, the Headmaster gave them both a wink.


End file.
